CATTY COMMENTS: Sanctuary cat welcomes all

PALM CITY - Have you ever played the game, "If my pet were a celebrity, who would he/she be?" After careful consideration, we have decided that the four-legged celebrities in our household include "Greta Garbo," "Tom Hanks" and "Ellen DeGeneres." (I suspect they'd disagree, however). Recently, I was chatting with one of Hobe Sound Animal Protection League's volunteers, Gloria, and I asked her which celebrity would best fit the personality of one of our favorite sanctuary cats, Armando. With barely a pause she replied, "Tommy Lee Jones. But he sees himself more as Brad Pitt!" She was spot-on in her assessment; Armando is quite a character.

He came to us two years ago as a stray. At five years of age, this big tom cat was slightly intimidating. He possessed the large jowly head that toms often develop and a scarred face. This boy had been around the block a few times. After he was neutered he was taken to the sanctuary in Palm City. Initially, everyone expected him to keep to himself. However, Armando soon revealed a social side. While he enjoys flirting with the girl cats (Sophie is his current favorite), he especially relishes showing "his" property to human visitors. Indeed, he's made it clear that he views the sanctuary as his own kingdom. When volunteers or guests arrive, he strolls from cottage to cottage with them, maintaining a friendly proprietary air. If people are in the medical care center he can be seen peering in the windows as if to reassure himself that no one is misbehaving inside.

Armando is completely unflappable, a trait he shares with Tommy Lee Jones. And, it's a quality that seems fitting as king of his domain. At meal time he often jumps up on the counter to supervise preparation of the food. Another cat, Kenny, likes to wait on the counter as well. Kenny meows and paces, trying to hurry the volunteer along through his melodramatic cajoling (Kenny is probably the feline version of Nathan Lane). However, Armando sits patiently, refusing to embarrass himself by begging. Kings never beg.

Armando will probably live out his life at the sanctuary. He prefers the outdoors and enjoys roaming the large property from end to end. He also knows that the ladies would be heartbroken if he were no longer around. To meet Armando or tour the sanctuary, call 772-463-7386.

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